[Wittrs] Where to Start Learning about Wittgenstein?
- From: Sean Wilson <whoooo26505@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "wittrs2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <wittrs2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:13:11 -0700 (PDT)
Hi Mike.
I have always felt that the best way to begin learning about Wittgenstein is
through biography. Wittgenstein is the quintessential philosopher where you
cannot understand him until you learn about his life, his quirks, his possible
autism (or something like that), and his extreme, extreme level of intelligence.
The best ever written would be:
1.. Ray Monk, “The Duty of Genius,” Penguin (1990) 0 14 01.5995 9 (paperback)
2. Norman Malcolm, “Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Memoir,” Oxford (1962). There is an
old and new printing (2001). ISBN: 978-0195002829 for the old one or
978-0199247592 for the new one. (paperback)
You might also pick up a book titled Culture and Value, which has some of
Wittgenstein's views in "naked form," -- i.e., unencumbered by the torture of
his philosophic method. You cannot pick up any of Wittgenstein's actual
philosophy books and just start reading -- at least, not without a tutor or
guide. That always leaves one in a fog. So I recommend biography and Culture
and Value.
By way of background, there are also these movie
lectures: http://seanwilson.org/wiki/doku.php?id=courses:wittgenstein_culture_law#movie_lectures
Regards and thanks.
Dr. Sean Wilson, Esq.
Assistant Professor
Wright State University
Personal Website: http://seanwilson.org
SSRN papers: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=596860
Wittgenstein Discussion: http://seanwilson.org/wittgenstein.discussion.html
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